Garment carrying unit



Oct. 1, 1935. J. RITTER, JR 2,015,966

GARMENT CARRYING UNIT Filed June 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l I T INVENTOATTORNEY.

1935- J. RITTER. JR

GARMENT CARRYING UNIT Filed June 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g INVENTOR.@Z' m Y 'BY /ab ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE GARMENT CARRYING UNIT Julius Ritter, Jr., Racine, Wis., assignorto Hartmann Trunk Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Thisinvention relates in general to improvements in garment carrying units,and relates more specifically to an improved garment carrying unitespecially applicable to suitcases, trunks, or other forms of luggage,for the purpose of foldably and compactly confining wearing apparel orgarments.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved garmentcarrying unit which. is simple and compact in construction and which ismoreover highly efficient and practical in use.

The present modes of travel make it imperative for luggage manufacturersto reduce to a minimum the size and weight of luggage withoutundesirably sacrificing available space. The traveling public alsodemands that containers for wearing apparel such as suits, overcoats,and dresses, be adapted to effectively fold and conceal such garmentswithout crushing and wrinkling the same, and that such garments bereadily accessible 20 without disturbing other goods confined within thecarrying case or piece of luggage. While it is desirable to have suchgarments thus snugly and safely confined within the case duringtransportation, it is also frequently desirable to re- 25 move thegarments already mounted on hanging devices so that the same may bereadily properly hung in a closet or wardrobe when the destination ofthe traveler has been reached.

' It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide animproved garment carrying unit for cases or luggage which meets all ofthe special requirements for every class of transportation, and for thetraveling trade in general.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide an improvedgarment carrying unit which is especially adapted for the reception andeffective housing in neatly folded condition of wearing apparel such assuits, coats, dresses, or the like.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide an improvedgarment carrying unit including a detachable garment hanger whichoccupies a minimum amount of space and which is adapted for snugconfinement within a carrier case or for bodily removal therefrom, thegarment hanger being susceptible of use independent of the garmentcarrying unit, for hanging a garment in a closet or wardrobe.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide a garmentcarrying unit adapted for carrying in compactly folded condition eithermens or ladies garments irrespective of the length of said garments.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide a garmentcarrying unit for use in cases 55 and luggage, which is extremely fiatand compact.

Still another specific object of the invention is to provide a garmentcarrying unit of the character described in which the garments aresupported on one surface and are folded about an edge onto the oppositesurface, a detachable flexible 5 curtain being provided for retainingthe folded garment portions adjacent said latter surface.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide a garmentcarrying unit adapted to be lodged either within the body portion or the10 cover portion of a case or trunk.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description.

A clear conception of the several embodiments of the invention, whereinthe same is applied to an ordinary luggage case, may be had by referringto the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,in which like reference characters designate the same or similar partsin thevarious views:

Fig. 1 is a top view of the improved garment carrying unit with a suitcoat mounted on a hanger and stretched over the unit prior to beingfolded thereon and confined;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan View showing the suit coat as folded andconfined with respect to the unit, and the folded position of a pair oftrousers on the inverted side of the unit, said view also showing theflexible retaining curtain partially secured in retaining position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end View of the garment carrying unit with abroken line showing of a garment secured in position thereon, and thecurtain completely fastened;

Fig; 4 is a transverse sectional view through an open suitcase havingthe improved garment carrying unit mounted in both cover and bodyportions thereof;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the unit with the hangerturned to a position for removal from the unit, the hanger hookreceiving pocket being broken away;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the garment carrying unit fitted with a bar forthe draping of womens garments;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 only showing the confinement andfolding of a dress with respect to the unit;

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 3 only showing the unit fitted with abar for womens garments and having a broken line showing of a dressfolded in position;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional View through an open suitcase showingthe unit of Fig. 7 mounted Referring to the drawings the suitcase,

which the unit is associated by way of illustration, comprises a mainsection l2, a cover section.

i3 swingably connected to the main section by means of a hinge l4, andside straps or stays l5 for limiting the swinging movement of the coversection IS. The main section may be provided with a partition IS. Withinupper corner portions of the main section brackets may be provided, inorder to removably support one of the improved'garment'carrying: unitsl8 in an ele vated position. The rear wall of the cover |3 may also beprovided, interiorly of the cover, with spring clips I9 for releasablyengaging an edge of a unit It to'mount the unit Within said cover, as inFigs. 4 and 9. i

The improved garment carrying unit comprises a flat, relatively thinplate or panel 21] of rectangular form and having one edge thereofrounded, as at 2|, to provide a garment foldingedge. In the unitdesigned for carrying. mens garments, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5inclusive, one surface of said panel adjacent the edge opposite the garment folding'edge 2| isformed with a pocket 22 which opens at its endadjacent the edge. Said pocket is adapted to receive and frictionallyhold the hook portion 23 of a hook member 24 pivotally i carried by theupperend portion of a coat hanger 25. In attaching or detaching thehanger 25 with respect to the panel 20 the hanger is turned with respectto the hook element 24, as shown in Fig. '3, and then the hook portion23 may be A readily manipulated with respect to the pocket 22.

When the hook portionis inserted into'said' pocket the hanger'25 isfolded over with respect to the hook and against the surface of thepanel 2|] as in Figs. 1 and 3.

The edge portion of the panel 20, adjacent which the hanger 25 ismounted, also has foldably secured thereto the end of a flexible curtainor flap 26.. Said flap is adapted to be stretched across theunder-surface of the panel (the surface which is free of the hanger),and the opposite edge portion of said surface is provided with male snapfastener elements 21 to cooperate with female snap fastener elements 28on the free edge of the flap, to permit releasable securement' of saidflap in stretched condition adjacent said surface of the panel.

In using the improved garment carrying unit; the panel 253 is removedfrom the suitcase or other housing and is disposed on a supportingsurface with its pocket side uppermost, as in Fig. 1. hanger 25, whichis firstdisengaged from the pocket 22, has a coat 29 or coat and vest,hung thereon in the usual manner. The hook element as is then turnedagainst the inner surface of the hanger and its portion 23 is insertedinto the pocket 22. The suit coat will lie flatly over the upper surfaceof the panel and extenda substantial distance beyond the rounded edge 2|thereof, as shown. Also, the fastening elements 21 and 28 of the flap orcurtainshould be released so that the end of the flap is free. Then,

The.

the panel should be turned bodily through an arc of one hundred andeighty degrees, and the garment will fold substantially medially overthe rounded folding edge 2| and onto the opposite surface of the panel,as in Fig. 2. If the coat or garment is of considerable length,releasable straps 30 may be utilized. Said straps, which are optional,are secured at. their ends. and extend transversely across the undersideof the panel remote from the folding edge 2|. Buckles 3| at the meetingends of the straps permit detachable connection of the straps. Dependingupon the length of the. garment said straps may be secured over the freeends of the same to hold said garment end portions against the panel, orthe garment if sufficiently long may be secured under the straps, andthen folded back over the same, as in Fig. 7. After the garment isfolded onto the panel, as explained, the trousers of a suit are oncefolded, medially of their ends, and are then laid over the folded overportion of the coat, transversely of the coat and lengthwise of thepanel, as shown in Fig. 2, and adjacent the lower edge of the invertedside of the panel. Then the flap 25 is stretched over the adjacentsurface of the panel and the fastener elements 21 and 28 are secured,whereby the folded over portion of the garment, and the folded trousers,are confined between the flexible flap and the panel. One or more ofsaid garment carrying unitsmay be used in a suitcase or trunk. As shownin Fig. 4 one unit is disposed within the body section l2 on thebrackets l'l, while another unit is mounted in the cover section 53. Forthe latter purpose of holding the latter unit its rounded edge 2| isengaged in said spring clips l9.

Other portions of the suitcase may be packed with garments and articlesand the same will remain segregated from the garments confined by aunit. The garments in a unit will be held in a tination a traveler mayremove a unit from the case and after detaching the hanger 25 from theunit the hanger may be utilized for hanging a garment in a closet orWardrobe.

A slightly modified form of garment carrying unit is illustrated inFigs. 6 to 10 inclusive. In the form of unit first described, the panelhas associatedtherewith a hanger for coats, suits, and menfs garments,while in the modification, to be described, the panel has a garment bar32 removably associated therewith,-the bar being especially designed forthe draping thereover of dresses and womens garments.

Referring particularly to Figs. 6, 8, and 10 of the drawings, it will benoted that the edge ofa surface of the panel 20, opposite the edge 2|,carries spaced apart spring clips 33. Said clips detachably,frictionally engage the capped end portions 34 of the garment bar 32,the garment bar being of circular form in cross-section. A dress or likegarment 35 is medially engaged by and hung over the detached bar 32 andthen the bar is mounted in the clips 33 on the panel, with the dressdraping over the panel and beyond the folding edge 2| thereof, asin'Fig. 6. When the The flap 26 is next secured in place to confine thegarment and the unit is mounted in the suitcase or container in themanner previously described.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the inventionprovides simple, compact, and readily accessible means for confininggarments within a housing in a folded condition, and without wrinklingor crushing the garments. The improved carrying unit besides being lightand strong, is extremely flat and compact and occupies a minimum amountof space within a container. Also, the unit may be applied to varioustypes of housings and luggage. Not only is the unit readily removablebodily from a container or housing, but the garment hanger is readilyremovable from the panel whereby accessibility to the garments andportions of the housing are readily afforded. The garment hangerprovides means for hanging a removed garment in a closet. The structurehas proven highly successful in commercial use, especially as applied toa standard luggage case as illustrated herein.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention tothe exact details of construction herein shown and described, forvarious modifications within the scope of the claims may occur topersons skilled in the art.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. A garment carrying unit, comprising, a frame member having a garmentfolding edge, a garment hanger removably mounted upon one side of saidmember near the opposite edge thereof, and a flexible flap attached tosaid opposite edge and overlying the opposite side of said member toconfine against said opposite side the lower end of a garment which hasbeen bent over said folding edge.

2. A garment carrying unit, comprising a flat frame member having arounded garment folding edge, a garment hanger removably mounted uponone side of said member near the opposite edge thereof, a flexible flappivotally attached to said opposite edge and overlying the opposite sideof said member to confine against said opposite side the end of agarment which has been bent over said folding edge, and means forreleasably attaching the swinging .end of said flap to said member nearsaid folding edge.

3. A garment carrying unit, comprising, a fiat, relatively thin panelhaving a garment folding edge, a garment hanger removably mounted uponone surface of said panel near the opposite edge thereof, a flexibleflap attached to said opposite edge of the panel and movable to overliethe opposite surface of said panel to confine against said oppositesurface the end of a garment which has been folded thereonto over saidfolding edge, and means for releasably securing the free end of saidflap to said panel adjacent the folding edge.

4. In combination, a. supporting panel having 5 a free edge, a flexiblecover flap having an end thereof secured adjacent an edge of the panelopposite the free edge and adapted to overlie one surface of the panel,a garment hanging device mounted on the other surface of the panelremote from the free edge, and means for releasably attaching theunsecured end of the flap to the panel adjacent the free edge thereof.

5. In combination, a garment supporting panel having a garment foldingedge, a flexible cover flap having one end thereof permanently securedadjacent an opposite edge of the panel and adapted to overlie onesurface of the panel, a garment hanging device mounted on the othersurface of the panel remote from the free edge, said hanging devicebeing adapted to have a garment draped thereover which is foldedmedially over the folding edge of the panel with a substantial portionof the garment being confined between the flap and the first-mentionedsurface of the panel, and means for releasably securing the other end ofthe flap to the panel adjacent the folding edge thereof.

6. A garment housing, comprising, a hollow container having a rigidplate forming one wall thereof and a flexible flap forming another wall,said container having an opening between an end of the plate and an endof the flap, and a garment hanger detachably carried by an exteriorportion of the plate remote from the open end of the container andadapted to have garments draped thereover which extend into thecontainer through the open end thereof.

'7. A garment housing insertible in trunks, suitcases and the like,comprising, a relatively flat 40 hollow container having a rigid plateforming one wall thereof and a flexible flap forming another wall, saidcontainer having an opening between an end of the plate and an end ofthe flap,

a garment hanger detachably carried by an exterior portion of the plateremote from the open end of the container and adapted to have garmentsdraped thereover which extend into the container through the open endthereof, means within the container remote from the open end thereofover which projecting ends of garments may be additionally folded, andmeans for separating and for securing one end portion of the flexibleWall with respect to the rigid wall.

JULIUS BITTER, JR.

